TCSM from several different vantage points including a few international contributors. Featured participants include film critic Heather The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is devilishly horrifying. Nowadays, it’s more common to see so many gory scenes in horror films. There’s Wolf Creek, Halloween, Scream, Hostel, Saw, the list goes on. But The Texas Chain Saw Massacre stands the test of time. It’s a classic. It’s a film which is always mentioned when anyone talks about the defining horror films of all time. There’s still relevance today, especially when it comes to exploring the theme of the final girl. The film that redefined horror, tells the story of a group of five friends who take a road trip and find themselves at the mercy of a depraved Texan clan, among them one of the all-time horror icons, the chainsaw-wielding Leatherface – played by the inimitable Gunnar Hansen. It’s not long before their idyllic drive becomes a macabre nightmare... Since its Sundance premiere, the energy surrounding the film has steadily grown with RogerEbert.com calling Onyx the Fortuitous “a handmade horror gem.” documentaries and interviews The Chainsaw Business: From Grandfather's Stitching Box, The Chainsaw Cut, The Hallowed Ground of Horror

MPI included) might have rendered the grain as more of a chunky, noisy mess. It also looks as if some of the more flagrant damage has been In putting the script together, Hooper and Kim Henkel said they knew they had it right when it read as funny to them. I often wonder it Hooper and his team really had any idea of how potent and raw his vision when transferred to the screen. The movie redefined horror by not following the conventional pattern that had taken to that point. Seen to be influenced by the disillusionment in the United States at the time – Vietnam, Watergate – it paved the way for the likes of Wes Craven’s The Hills Have Eyes and a whole plethora of imitators and parodies such as Kevin Connor’s Motel Hell. Audio commentary with Cinematographer Daniel Pearl, Editor J. Larry Carroll, Sound Recordist Ted Nicolaou

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In Roger Ebert’s largely dismissive two-star review of Tobe Hooper’s iconic horror film The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, he opened with the following paragraph: The Texas Chain Saw Massacre Limited Edition 4K UHD/Blu-ray 2NDBR4180 18 Region Free 4K UHD/ Region B Blu-ray -Release Date: 10 April 2023 Running Time: 83 mins never before seen on home video. Colors are likewise more faithfully rendered, and a few subtle tone shifts have also been carefully corrected; one I thought I was done buying The Texas Chain Saw Massacreafter upgrading to the 40th anniversary edition Blu-ray in 2014. Between the crisp presentation and the copious extras, I was certain it was the definitive version of Tobe Hooper‘s 1974 masterpiece. Yet here I am, nearly a decade later, ready to sing the praises of Dark Sky Films‘ 4K Ultra HD edition. Another highlight is a 45-min conversation between Hooper and fellow master of horror William Friedkin that preceded a 40th anniversary screening presented by Cinefamily in Los Angeles. Hooper is reserved compared to the gregarious Exorcist director, but it’s a treat to hear the two old friends candidly chat about the movie that, as Friedkin puts it, “transcends the genre.”

Shot on 16mm, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (TCSM) was supposed to and should look suitably rough and downright grotty…however Second Sight have taken the existing 4K scan of the original camera negative made by the rights holders in 2016 (one that has been used to produce multiple other 4K releases of the film in other territories) and done a beautiful new restoration to it. And it’s this that forms the basis of the native 3840 x 2160p resolution image that adorns this new 4K release. The image retains a theatrically accurate 1.85:1 aspect ratio and utilises 10-bit video depth, WCG and both HDR10/Dolby Vision passes, and is encoded using the HEVC (H.265) codec. Cutting Chain Saw offers an interview with editor J. Larry Carroll about the circumstances involving how the film was put together. Granpaw’s Tales features an interview with actor John Dugan about his role in the film. Horror’s Hallowed Grounds is a 2008 episode of Sean Clark’s web series, taking us on a tour of the filming locations in Texas. Flesh Wounds was produced by Red Shirt Pictures in 2006 for Dark Sky Films and specifically speaks to members of the Chain Saw filmmaking family one by one. They include cinematographer Daniel Pearl, TCM fan club president Tim Harden, actor Edwin Neal, special makeup designer Dr. W.E. Barnes, and actor Gunnar Hansen. In addition, there’s an In Memoriam section devoted to actors Paul Partain and Jim Siedow, and art director Robert A. Burns, as well as footage from Cinema Wasteland and Texas Frightmare shows. Off the Hook features an interview with actress Teri McMinn from 2014, which was a big deal at the time as she had walked away from the spotlight and hadn’t spoken about the film since its release. The Business of Chain Saw features an interview with production manager Ron Bozman about his experiences making the film. House Tour with Gunnar Hansen was produced in 2006 and features the actor taking us on a tour of the filming location as it stands today. The Tobe Hooper Interview and Kim Henkel Interview were both originally recorded in 2002 for Blue Underground.obvious example can be seen right before poor Franklin rolls down that grassy hill. Overall image details and textures are also given a nice boost The on-disc extras are identical on both formats; they're squeezed onto the 4K disc along with the movie, and spread out on both Blu-rays -- Disc 1 Note: this reviewer has only the US Dark Skies 2008 blu-ray to help in comparisons, with no other home video versions seen to compare this new 4K image against.

The English Dolby Atmos mix included sounds basically the same as it does on the Dark Sky Films 4K release. Given this 1974 film has an original mono mix (which is also supplied in LPCM 1.0) the Atmos mix cannot be expected to be as impactful as a contemporary mix. Still, the sound is upgraded nicely, and the channels are well used, with lots of atmospherics and some sound effects moved into the surrounds, and good saturation of ambience in the height channels. Second Sight loses the audio battle by only including two audio mixes. There is no 2.0 stereo mix, lossless 7.1, or 5.1 mix included, but those are minor omissions. The Supplements Much of the screen time, in fact, is spent with Sally, Franklin and their friends, as they travel and encounter mounting craziness. The characters are, to be honest, mostly lightly sketched. Franklin might be the most developed, and Paul Partain’s performance is definitely divisive. The wheelchair bound Franklin whines his way through much of the film, and he can get grating, but having him there does create an undertone to the whole film, because we can see the rough ground beneath the character’s feet, and know that it’s not going to be particularly easy for him to navigate. As soon as we know the kids are in danger, we’re primed to be terrified for Franklin. Now here’s a grisly little item. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is as violent and gruesome and blood-soaked as the title promises—a real Grand Guignol of a movie. It’s also without any apparent purpose, unless the creation of disgust and fright is a purpose. And yet in its own way, the movie is some kind of weird, off-the-wall achievement. I can’t imagine why anyone would want to make a movie like this, and yet it’s well-made, well-acted, and all too effective.” Commentary with actors Marilyn Burns, Paul A. Partain, Allen Danzinger, and art director Robert A. Burns and others. It's an entertaining piece, though given the wealth of extras already on this release and earlier discs, some of the stories won't exactly

Scores

Massacre, as it clearly surpasses all previous home video editions and likely even original theatrical showings. It's quite simply that